E/CN.4/1989/44 paqe 32 "(b) 12 May 1987: "An all-niqht prayer service for the nation beqinninq around 8.25 p.m. on 12 May 1987 at A-Hyun Methodist Church in Seoul, with 550 worshippers in attendance ended around 7.40 a.m. on 13 May. "Before the service, the information was received that some radical students and fuqitives would try to throw fire-bombs, staqe a self-injury and qo on a sit-in in the church. Thus, the police deployed its squad around the church and admitted the people who wanted to participate in the service into the church, after examininq their identification, to protect the reliqious service from the possible interruption. "Around 8 p.m. some participants went out of the church and illeqally marched through the streets. The police ... were forced to break up the illeqal street demonstration. The measure taken by the police was not to interrupt the religious assembly but to protect the assembly and eventually to maintain social order. "With reqard to the incident, three persons, including Rev. Kim Sanq-Keun, filed complaints on 22 May 1987 aqainst the chief of the police station and others concerned. The charqe was later dropped by the District Public Prosecutor's Office after the investigation on 29 December 1987." "(c) 18 May 1987: "Around 8.20 p.m. on 18 May 1987, 500 people and students enqaqed in an illegal demonstration on the street at the entrance of Wongaksa, a Buddhist temple in Kwangju. Police asked them to disperse, but they refused. So the police was obliged to throw tear—gas to scatter them. In the process, a couple of tear-gas canisters accidentally fell and exploded in the compound of Wongaksa temple where a memorial service was under way. "Some of the demonstrators escaped to the temple's compound and instigated worshippers to join the demonstration. In the course of arresting them in the compound, a few worshippers were injured and some utensils in the temple were destroyed. That was an inevitable measure taken by the police to break up the demonstration and to maintain public order, and it was not meant, in any way, to interfere with the memorial service beinq held in the temple. "The 521 persons concerned with the incident lodqed a complaint with the relevant District Public Prosecutor's Office aqainst the Police Bureau Director of Chollanamdo Province and the Police Chief of Kwanqju City on 22 May 1987. And, after investigation, the office decided to drop the charges against the accused on 30 July 1988. "In this reqard, the Home Ministry dismissed on 22 May 1988 the Task Force Chief of the police Bureau for mishandlinq the breakup of the demonstration."